Typical modern circuit boards or IC-packages tend to include a variety of components. For example, most circuit boards or IC-packages may include one or more integrated circuits with a set of leads, legs, pads, or pins on both sides of a package. There are also many rounded or irregularly shaped devices such as ceramic resistors, capacitors, and through-hole pins. IC-package components such as those described above often need to be monitored or tested by testing instruments such as oscilloscopes and other measuring, monitoring, diagnostic, and signal processing instruments.
In general, test probes are used for the testing test in order to provide an electrical connection between IC-package components and testing instruments. With the progress and development of the technology the integrated circuits are reduced in size leading to a finer pitch between neighboring leads or pins of the IC-package. To still enable the testing of the IC-package the test probes are reduced in size, i.e. the test probe tip is shrunk in size.
A typical test probe known in the art is shown in FIG. 2. In particular, FIG. 2 shows a test probe 200 comprising a cylindrical probe body 201 and a probe tip 202 integrally formed with the probe body. The probe tip comprises a tapered or peaked tip end so that a size of an area contacting leads or pins of an IC-package to be tested is reduced. The tip end acts as a current conducting path to leads or pads of the IC-package. However, in case of high currents, e.g. when power packages or power modules are tested, the small size of the tip end of the test probe may lead to a melting of the test probe tip.